UK: Visiting Haytor – Dartmoor National Park! (17.4.2025

We were committed to traversing directly up before we fully appreciated the difference. Nevertheless, hundreds climb Haytor every week – with wild Dartmoor ponies wandering around the car-park area. These animals may – or may not – come over for a stroke, but visitors must be careful not to be bitten, head-butted, or kicked, etc. This does not happen very often – but wild animals should be respected. Another issues are yapping dogs (which must be kept on leads). As matters transpired, there was one or two calm and sedate ponies that wanted to be stroked and petted, etc. The general experience is important for children – particularly those from city areas – to re-connect with nature and experience the feeling that the immensity of nature – wide-open spaces – can generate! I last visited probably about 20-years ago with Gee – but our two children not yet born.

Sheep Are Generally "Apolitical"!

FBI: Surname “Crooks” NOT Related to Habitual Crime! (14.7.2024)

FBI Files report that the surname ‘Crooks’ is an ancient English surname relating to an individual who specialises in the care of adult sheep or juvenal lambs. As a surname, it is related to the surnames ‘Shepperd’ and ‘Lambert’ – with ‘Crooks’ referring to a six-foot wooden staff that possess a ‘hook’ (or ‘crook’) at one-end – used to ‘envelop’ the neck-area of a sheep or lamb – ‘at a distance’. This piece of pre-modern technology allows for troublesome and quick-footed sheep and lambs that need to be captured and brought near to their human carer. 

Ancient Rome Celegrated!

Italy: Rome Celebrates 2,777th Birthday! (22.4.2024)

“We didn’t plan to come to Rome for the city’s birthday but seeing all this is a great way to spend part of a day, taking it all in,” Loria told Xinhua. “I especially enjoyed seeing the contrasts, the period costumes in a modern city.”

Though the origins of Sunday’s celebrations date back centuries, the events have caught on with travellers as tourism in Italy has recovered from the setbacks of the coronavirus pandemic.

There are no official estimates for the number of people who participated in Sunday’s activities, media reports said the city had deployed extra police for security and traffic control. Hotel bookings were higher than usual for the weekend, media reports said.

Ruby (2008-2024)

RIP “Ruby” – the Malamute Wolf-Dog! (2007-2024)

Despite her size and strength – Ruby was gentle with children and other pets – despite being more than able to defend herself if the need ever arose. We shared many long and meandering walks through the hills and dales of the Devonshire countryside over the years. Once, whilst in a local forest Ruby jumped into the river and disappeared deep into the murky depths. she eventually re-emerged and scrambled unscathed up the bank – all for a Jaffa Cake! Another time she jumped through an (open) upstairs window and walked around on the roof for about an hour – be fore Gee finally managed to entice her up the roof tiles and back in! People travelling on a local double-decker bus were watching the spectacle as the bus drove past!